1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photograph album page, spine and system and more particularly pertains to displaying photographs in an album with a unique spine and pages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of photograph album pages and spines of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, photograph album pages and spines of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of displaying photographs through a wide variety of methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,026 to Shaine discloses a method of making pages of a photo album. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,522 to Moir discloses a method for producing a photo album page.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a photograph album page, spine and system allowing displaying photographs in an album with a unique spine and pages
In this respect, the photograph album page, spine and system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the assembly of the album with its unique spine and pages.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system which can be used for displaying photographs in an album with a unique spine and pages. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of photograph album pages and spines of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved photograph album page, spine and system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a photograph album system for removably receiving and supporting photographs and like image-bearing documents for maximized convenience and aesthetic appearance is comprised of a plurality of components in combination. First provided is a spine. The spine includes a pair of parallel side walls each with a top end and bottom end and an interior edge and exterior edge. The spine also includes top panel and a bottom panel. Each panel has an interior and exterior face. The top panel and bottom panel are each in parallel relationship with each other. The panels are coupled at the top of the walls and at the bottom of the walls for the receipt of pages there between. The two walls and two panels are in a rectilinear configuration. The resulting configuration has an open planar face from which pages may extend and a closed arcuate face opposite therefrom. The top panel has a fixed retainer portion with a front face and flush side walls. A plurality of recesses on the interior face of fixed retainer portion. An internal lateral groove is provided at the bottom end of each of the side walls adjacent to the bottom panel. An aperture is provided through each of the side walls at an intermediate location along a mid line of the sidewalls. Next provided are a plurality of cylindrical long posts. The long posts have opposite ends adapted to be received in the recesses. The retainer portion of the top panel of the spine is adapted for the receipt of the pages there around. A removable retainer is next provided. The removable retainer has an exterior face and a plurality of internal retaining fingers. The removable retainer is adapted to slidably couple in the groove of the spine and hold the cylindrical posts in an equally spaced configuration. Next provided is a short spine pin which passes through the side wall apertures to retain the posts in position within the spine. Lastly, a plurality of pages made from flexible paper products are provided. The plurality of pages are all defined by a plurality of signatures. The signatures are defined by a plurality of page sets. Each page set consists of an interior support sheet of a rectangular configuration having a central vertical fold defining an inner bend and a pair of outer edges. Each page set further has a pair of exterior cover sheets each having a central vertical fold positioned around an individual outer edge of the interior support sheet with each fold defining an outer bend and a pair of inner edges lying in proximity to the inner bend of the interior support sheet. The inner bend is adapted to hold a cylindrical long post. The exterior covers are adhered to the interior support sheet by glue on three sides such that two pages are formed with separate pockets on each side of each page with each pocket opening toward the inner edge of the exterior cover sheet and the inner bend of the interior support sheet. The interior support sheet initially has a generally rectangular configuration having a top and bottom edge and a pair of side edges and a central axis with a pair of recesses at the top and bottom edge thereof. The interior support sheet has a series of short rectangular apertures along the central axis to facilitate bending and a pair of circular apertures located equally spaced from the central axis along a mid line of the interior support sheet. The exterior cover sheets are initially of a rectangular configuration and have a plurality of rectangular apertures aligned along the central axis which serve to frame the photograph and like image-bearing document.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system which has all of the advantages of the prior art photograph album pages and spines of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved photograph album page, spine and system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such photograph album page, spine and system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a photograph album page, spine and system for displaying photographs in an album with a unique spine and pages.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved photograph album system having a spine with an internal lateral groove at one end and a removable retainer having a plurality of internal retaining fingers within the groove. A plurality of pages are defined by a plurality of signatures. Each signature is defined by a plurality of page sets. Each page set consists of an interior support sheet with a central fold and a pair of exterior cover sheets. The exterior cover sheets are folded around an individual outer edge of an interior support sheet with each having a central fold defining an outer bend. The exterior cover sheets are adhered to the interior support sheet so that two pages are formed with separate pockets on each side of each page. Posts couple the pages to the spine.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.